JOBS: Military program helps boost employee count among Valley-area’s largest companies.

THE LIST: Some of the region’s largest manufacturing companies brought more jobs last year to the area where aviation and aerospace manufacturing have a stronghold. Includes the 2011 SFV'S LARGEST MANUFACTURING COMPANIES list for download (pdf)

ENTREPRENEURS: Owners find they must always evolve and change to stay ahead of the pack.

ENERGY: Firms look to cut costs but downturn made investments difficult for some.

KenWalt Die Casting, a very traditional industry, is using solar energy to help power its facility in Sun Valley into the future. Other local manufacturers are also finding the benefits of alternative energy.

AEROSPACE: Assembly line seen as industry model.

Firms Seizing Opportunities

Manufacturing in the greater Valley area has seen numerous changes over the past year including Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne’s increased expansion to other business models, acquisitions involving several companies and the addition of a new Mission Foods plant.

The California Department Insurance and the California Department of Managed Care are conducting their own investigation into Health Net’s loss of several server drives that contained enrollee and employee information.

Drawing: Ford dealership gets car at a discount.

Antelope Valley car dealer Lou Gonzales discusses the switch from the Saturn brand to Chevrolet, what buyers are looking for these days and the future of the Lancaster Auto Mall.

Interview with Lou Gonzales, owner of Antelope Valley Chevrolet in Lancaster. He’s a long-time area businessman who didn’t give up on the industry or the area after his Saturn business folded in the demise of the brand.

SHOPPING: Westfield readies portfolio for Village project.

Westfield starts lining up its retail mix at the proposed Village development that will link Topanga Plaza and the Promenade in the next several years. The company in the past few weeks has been giving more details about the project and sending out glossy brochures to the neighborhood.